TenMaki Week 2018
by OrionFowl
Summary: A collection of one-shots written for Tenmaki week 2018. Covers a variety of scenarios, so warnings are in the individual chapters. May contain spoilers for Danganronpa V3.
1. Day 1: AU

**A/N: Today is the start of TenMaki week for Tumblr! I don't know how many days I'll be able to write for. But I did write this: An entry for Day 1, AU. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 1: A fresh start**

If there was one thing that Maki definitely found admirable about Tenko, it was her dream. The Ultimate Aikido Master always talked about how she would open her own training dojo, where she could teach others the strength to look out for those they cared about.

As the Ultimate Assassin, Maki only ever used her strength to kill… to destroy. Was that why Maki had found herself becoming drawn to Tenko during their time at Hope's Peak Academy? Perhaps it was, but that wasn't something Maki would ever admit out loud.

Being the emotionally open girl that she was, during their second year together Tenko spoke the words that Maki couldn't: "Maybe Tenko is the only one that feels this way. But Tenko has enjoyed the time she's spent with Maki. And Tenko is imagining… that she could be with Maki even after we graduate!"

"Wha-what? Why would you want to be with a horrible person like me?" Maki couldn't help but say that, because she really did feel that way, after all the blood she spilled. And that was when it happened- Tenko grabbed Maki by the hands and declared, "Maki is not a horrible person! Tenko has seen into your heart, and it's so warm and caring deep down. But your heart is also wounded and troubled. And Tenko hopes that she can be the one that help you face that head on!"

If anyone had a heart that was warm and caring, it was Tenko. Just being in her presence was like being in an embrace. That was how they came to be a couple for the remainder of their time at Hope's Peak Academy.

If there was one thing that worried Maki, it was what she would do after graduation. Maki had every intention of leaving the assassin cult the first chance she got- she had long since grown weary of seeing dead bodies. But Maki had no idea what to do with herself after that.

Maki didn't speak of this with anyone, not even with Tenko. Yet, as if Tenko already knew of Maki's troubles, she approached Maki and asked if Maki would mind going somewhere so they could talk…

* * *

The destination that Tenko had in mind was what appeared to be a wooden building that was tucked away in a quieter corner of the city. "Where is this, Tenko?" Maki asked.

"This is none other than Tenko's future Neo Aikido dojo! Tenko has saved up money throughout all three years she's spent as a student of Hope's Peak," Tenko explained. "So she plans to make a down payment on this place as soon as she graduates."

"So through your hard work, you plan to take the first step in accomplishing your dream. That's all well and good, but what do I have to do with this?" Maki asked.

"Well, Tenko has seen that something has been troubling Maki, and while Tenko doesn't know what is, Tenko has a feeling it's related to your… talent," Tenko said, gripping one of her arms.

"... You'd be correct. But I do not want to concern yourself with my talent any longer. I fully plan to leave that world for good as soon as I can," Maki said, putting a reassuring hand on one of Tenko's shoulder.

"Tenko is happy to hear that! And it means that Tenko was right to do this!" Tenko exclaimed, smiling. "Because while Tenko plans to run this dojo, when it gets big enough she won't be able to do it alone. So Tenko wants to run this dojo alongside you, Maki!"

It took a moment for Maki for process what Tenko was saying. "Do you mean… that you want me to be a part of something so important to you? Even after all I've done?"

"Of course Tenko wants Maki do be a part of this- you're her girlfriend. But it's not just that. Maybe you can't take back all that you've done before. But the reason that Tenko wants to open this dojo is to make the world a better place in her own way! So Tenko was thinking, maybe Maki could lend her strength to people who need it to protect someone they care about."

And there it was- the sincerity and warmth that flowed not just from Tenko's words, but from her smile, her eyes, from every inch of her body. Tenko could be overwhelming at times, but right now, her feelings were washing over Maki, washing away the doubts and fear Maki had about her future. Maki found that now she was smiling too, looking at the dojo that represented everything Tenko worked for.

"It's true… I can't imagine a life not being an assassin, even though I hate it. I didn't know what would become of me," Maki said, intertwining one of her hands with one of Tenko's. "But if you believe in me so much you're willing to share your dream with me, how could I refuse? Perhaps while running this dojo with you, I'll discover what I really want to do."

"And Tenko will support Maki every step of the way!" Tenko exclaimed, squeezing Maki's hand. "But first, we got to graduate from Hope's Peak. So there's one final intense battle ahead of us!"

"It's not that big of a deal." Yet even with Maki's sardonic quip, she was still smiling.

Tenko turned to leave, probably to go back to Hope's Peak. Maki followed after her, but glanced back to take one last look at the dojo.

That was where Maki's new future would begin. It was where their new future would begin, together.

* * *

 **A/N: This is based of an AU that a friend an fellow TenMaki shipper came with, where Maki is a dojo trainer. Consider this one-shot an origin story to this AU. I want to contribute as much as I can to TenMaki, so expect more in the coming days. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	2. Day 2: Flowers

**A/N: This is my entry for Day 2 of TenMaki week! The prompt for this day is "Flowers". So I decided to take that prompt and use it to do some relationship growth. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 2: By any other other name**

Tenko Chabashira was a hopeless romantic.

When it came to relationships, Tenko always rambled to her friends about how she would spoil and cherish her prospective future girlfriend, to the point of annoying her friends.

When Tenko started dating Maki, she actually did try to pour affection onto her, but Tenko quickly learned that Maki was much more restrained when it came to relationships: Maki did not like PDA, did like physical affection but only occasionally, and appreciated how sincere Tenko was with her feelings, but not how loud the aikido master could be.

Tenko did her best to compromise to make their new relationship work. Every so often, however, Tenko couldn't help but demonstrate her love in grand gestures.

* * *

One her way to Hope's Peak Academy one morning, Tenko happened to pass by a flower shop, and her eye was caught by a large bouquet of gorgeous red roses. "Those would be perfect for Maki!" Tenko exclaimed as soon as she saw them. Tenko immediately rushed into the shop and bought the bouquet, carrying them in her arms,

As Tenko resumed her walk to Hope's Peak, however, Tenko began to have doubts. What if Maki didn't like the flowers? What if Maki actually got mad at Tenko for making a big fuss in public?

For a moment, Tenko considered tossing the flowers. As Tenko approached the gates to the school, however, she saw that Maki was already waiting for it. Tenko decided to go through with giving Maki the roses, and apologize if she ended up not liking them.

"Hello, Tenko," Maki said, holding her hands behind her back and blushing lightly. "Are those roses for me?"

"They are, Maki! I happened to see these, and they made me think of your rose pin, so I bought them for you!" Tenko explained, her face turning red. "Of course, if you don't want them, it's okay! I think I can still return them."

"No, it's fine. I can keep them in my room," Maki said. The blush on her face grew darker. "Actually, I got something for you too. Something that reminds me of you."

Maki brought out her hands in front of herself, revealing that she was carrying a potted sunflower. Tenko eyes widened, and now her entire face was scarlet. "You got that for me?! Maki, you shouldn't have!"

"I wanted to get you something. You've been trying hard to make our relationship comfortable for me," Maki said quietly. "But a relationship goes both ways, right? It's not fair if you're the one making all the effort."

"That really means a lot to me, Maki! I know I can be too much sometimes, but I'm doing my best to be a good girlfriend for you!" Tenko exclaimed, shifting the rose bouquet to one hand so she could grab the potted sunflower with her other hand.

"You've been wonderful, Tenko. Let me take those…" Maki took to rose bouquet from Tenko.

It was then that something Maki said earlier sunk in for Tenko. "I remind you of a sunflower?"

Maki turned away, blushing and tugging at one of her pigtails. "You do. It's true that you can be too loud sometimes. But you always brighten up my day."

That was too much for Tenko- after a few minutes of incoherent sputtering Tenko was reduced a blushing mess.

"Heh. I don't think I've ever seen you stricken silent before. Maybe I should do this more often," Maki said.

Their relationship was still pretty new, and Tenko and Maki were still learning about each other. But carrying the potted sunflower in her hands, and seeing Maki carrying the roses convinced Tenko they could make it work.

* * *

 **A/N: A bit of a shorter piece, but I wanted to explore how Maki and Tenko fit together as a couple. This and the previous piece have been fluffy. Tomorrow's prompt, however, will give me a chance to explore something new in this pairing. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	3. Day 3: Fight

**A/N: The prompt for Day 3 is "Fight". This is a word that can mean many things. So I will take it to mean something that will let me explore what happens when things get ugly between our couple. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 3: Not reaching you**

"Will you just calm down down already? You're making a big deal out of nothing."

"You're really frustrating me right now! You're just standing there like a chunk of wood and hearing you say it's not a big deal is making me even angrier!"

Tenko and Maki's classmates shared concerned glances as they continued their shouting match (Well, Tenko was doing most of the shouting). The couple had their disagreements, but this was the first time they'd had such a serious argument.

Maki turned away from Tenko, sighing. "I can't be around you if you're going to be this stupid. Shout at a wall if you want, but I'm leaving."

"Fine! I'm going to go to my Ultimate Lab to train!" Tenko yelled, stomping her feet. "I'm going to be as loud as possible, and there's nothing you can do to stop me!"

Tenko stomped off in the direction of her Ultimate Lab. Maki shook her head, then went off somewhere else in the opposite direction. Seeing this, Kaede pulled Shuichi aside.

"What do you think they were fighting about?" Kaede asked Shuichi.

"I can't be sure, Kaede. I know they weren't fighting before breakfast," Shuichi said, putting his hand on his chin as he always did when he was thinking. "So whatever caused the fight happened after that. Kaede, did you talk with Maki before this?"

"Just a little when we were eating breakfast," Kaede said, trying to remember what they talked about. "I think Maki mentioned having plans after eating."

"So whatever it was that Tenko and Maki were fighting about, it could be related to what those plans were," Shuichi said thoughtfully. "Of course, the only way to know for sure would be to ask them directly…"

"That's a brilliant idea, Shuichi!" Kaede exclaimed. "Okay, I'll go talk with Maki, and you go talk with Tenko!"

"Wait, why am I the one that has to talk with Tenko?!" Shuichi asked, panicked at the thought.

"Well, it's better if we split up. I'm sure you'll be fine, Shuichi!" Before Shuichi say anything else, Kaede dashed off, waving at him.

"...I'm going to get tossed around a lot today, aren't I?" Shuichi asked himself, sighing.

* * *

Kaede searched around towards the campus for Maki. When Kaede headed towards the dorms, she spotted Kaito standing outside of Maki's room.

"Hey there, Kaede!" Kaito greeted. "It's a good thing that you're here. Maki Roll is being more stubborn than usual."

"Did you hear about what happened, Kaito?" Kaede asked as she joined Kaito in front of Maki's door.

"Yeah, I did. Even if I didn't, it's hard to miss Maki muttering about Tenko being a massive idiot," Kaito said, running his fingers through his hair.

"Okay, then you can help me get to the bottom of this!" Kaede knocked on the door to Maki's dorm.

"...Go away." Maki said bluntly from inside her dorm.

"If you plan to stay locked up in your room all day, it won't work," Kaede said. "Me and Kaito are ready to stay out here all day if we have to!"

"Do you really have nothing better to do than stand outside and bug me?" Maki asked, sounding irritated.

"Come on now, Maki Roll! It's a hero's job to look out for his sidekicks!" Kaito shouted. "So get out here already!"

After a pause, Maki opened the door, an angry expression on her face. "There, I'm out. What do you want?"

"We want to know why you were fighting with Tenko, of course! I've never seen you two so angry at each other," Kaede asked.

"...I wasn't mad. I'm just waiting for Tenko to stop blowing things out of proportions," Maki said, her words belied by the hurt in her red eyes.

"Knowing Tenko, she's definitely worked up over whatever happened between you two," Kaito said. "But you are too, Maki Roll. Otherwise you wouldn't be cooping yourself up in here."

Maki's eyes widened, indicating that Kaito hit the mark. "Do you want to die?" Maki blurted out.

"Yup, Kaito's definitely right if you're falling back on that," Kaede said, shaking her head. "Shuichi mentioned you had plans. Was your fight with Tenko about that?"

For a few, Maki pouted, clearly not wanting to talk about it. Finally, Maki said, "Last week, Tenko invited me to an idol concert that she's been wanting to see. Shortly after breakfast, she told me that she got us both tickets. I told Tenko to I wouldn't be able to go, and to just go on her own. That made her really upset, and she lost control from there."

Kaito sighed. "I'm not saying that Tenko was in the right here. But by the sound of it, you were pretty insensitive too, Maki Roll."

"...What are you talking about Kaito? Tenko was the one that made such a big deal out of nothing," Maki said, looking away.

"That's exactly what Kaito means! Just brushing everything off like that doesn't help at all!" Kaede said firmly. "Tenko loves idol concerts, and inviting you to one means she wanted to share something she loves with you! To Tenko, that's not nothing."

While Kaede was talking, Kaito had his eyes closed, deep in thought. Then he opened his eyes and said, "Idol concerts don't really seem like your thing, Maki Roll. But if Tenko bought tickets, does that mean you agreed to go along when she first invited you?"

"Yes, I did. Why do you ask," Maki said, looking at Kaito suspiciously.

It was Kaede that pieced it together. "Kaito asks because for you to suddenly call it off means you had an important reason. So what happened?"

The question caught Maki so badly that she actually took a few steps back. "...The reason that I won't be able to go to the concert is because of my 'job'. I'll be out on assignment that night. It's ugly, but I have no choice."

"And did you explain any of this to Tenko? Because if you didn't, then Tenko must have thought you were calling off your date for no real reason," Kaito said.

"What?! Why would I have to explain? Tenko knows about my 'real talent'. She should know I can be called away at any time," Maki said.

"This is what I was trying to explain to you earlier, Maki. You didn't mean to, but you brushed off Tenko's feelings," Kaede said. "Of course that would upset her."

"...I know talking about my 'job' makes Tenko uncomfortable. I'd rather avoid it whenever possible," Maki said, looking down. "But I guess this whole thing is my fault too."

"C'mon now, Maki Roll! Tenko loves you with all her heart," Kaito said. "And a girl like her always faces things head on! So if you just go to her and talk this out, I'm sure you'll work this out."

"If it will finally make you two leave, I will," Maki said.

"That's more like it!" Kaede exclaimed. Hopefully, Shuichi was having similar results with Tenko.

* * *

As Shuichi approached the Ultimate Aikido Master Lab, she heard the sound of Tenko shouting and screaming, while the sound of her hitting things echoed outside. Shuichi was tempted to turn around to leave, but he spotted Himiko standing outside.

"Hello, Shuichi," Himiko said as she spotted the detective.

"Hello, Himiko. Are you here because of Tenko?" Shuichi asked.

"I am. But Tenko is so upset, she is letting out an angry aura that's sapping all my MP. What a pain…" Himiko said.

"Well, I'm here too. Between the two of us, we should hopefully be able to calm Tenko down," Shuichi said.

"Nyeh… you don't sound that confident." Saying anything else would just be delaying the inevitable, however, so the two of them entered the Ultimate Lab.

Tenko was in the middle of smacking a wooden dummy, ranting to herself.

"Tenko saves up her allowance- *thunk* buys nice clothes- *thunk* gets the best seats- *thunk* and all for what? For Maki to just cancel the whole thing like it never mattered?!"

Tenko kicked the dummy so hard that she left a small dent in it. Shuichi gulped at this sight, but called out, "Tenko!"

Tenko turned around, a furious expression on her face. Upon seeing Himiko, Tenko's expression visibly softened. "Hello, Himiko! What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to try and make you less angry. You always cheer me up whenever I'm upset," Himiko said. "So I wanted to do the same for you for once."

"How wonderful of you, Himiko! But you don't have to be too concerned about me," Tenko said, now smiling.

"You say that, but we're worried about you as your friends," Shuichi said.

"Oh, you're here too, Shuichi. I guess it's obvious that I'm upset if even a male has noticed," Tenko said.

Shuichi decided not to point out that he called out first, or that it was always obvious when Tenko was upset. Instead he said, "I was going to ask what was wrong, but I think I have an idea now. Did you have plans with Maki that ended up not happening?"

"I expected no less from the Ultimate Detective! But this is a personal matter between me and Maki!" Tenko exclaimed.

"Tenko, I know you mean well. But it's not fair that you ask us to unload our problems onto you, and then not trust us with your own problems," Himiko pointed out.

Waaaaahhh! No, of course I trust you guys," Tenko said quickly. "It's just, I'm not sure how I should talk about this."

"It took a lot of MP for me to get here. A part of me would rather be in bed right now," Himiko said. "But you would do the same for me, Tenko. So I'll use my magic to fix whatever problem this is!"

"We already have a good idea of what the problem is. But I still don't have the complete story," Shuichi said thoughtfully. "I'm guessing you were planning to take Maki somewhere. But why did she refuse?"

"I was going to take Maki out to the concert, but she didn't refuse when I first invited her," Tenko explained. "She just came up to me after breakfast this morning and told me she wasn't going to the concert anymore."

"Nyeh, that does sound like Maki Roll. She can be too blunt sometimes," Himiko said.

"Wait, Maki really canceled the date out of nowhere? Did she explain why?" Shuichi asked.

"No, she didn't. In fact, I don't think I even asked why," Tenko asked, a look of panic dawning on her face. "After how much planning I did for our date, having it canceled upset me."

"You can be pretty bad at listening sometimes, Tenko," Himiko said, deadpan.

"Oh no, what have I done?! I shouted and yelled at Maki and now she could be dealing with something on her own! I need to go to her right now!" Tenko yelled.

"Before you do, Tenko, take a deep breath," Shuichi said. "You can be pretty insightful, and Maki might need that. But you need to be calm first."

"Okay, I will!" Tenko took a deep breath in, then out, and she was visibly calmer when she finished. "Thank you so much, Himiko! And thanks to you too, Shuichi!"

"It looks like we managed to pull that off," Shuichi said, sighing in relief.

"Yeah, but now I'm completely out of MP," Himiko said, an exhausted expression on her face. "I think I need to be carried back to my room…"

* * *

Tenko and Maki ended up meeting in the courtyard, and for a moment it seemed like neither girl knew what to say.

"Maki, I'm sorry. I got mad, I shouted at you, and I didn't even bother asking you why you weren't going to the concert anymore," Tenko said.

"I still say you got a little too upset. But I shouldn't have just ignored your feelings," Maki said. "You were really looking forward to going to the concert with me, and I didn't consider that. So I'm sorry too."

Maki wanted to look away, but she forced herself to look into Tenko's eyes. "It's not that I didn't want to go with you to the concert. I had no choice. I was called away by… well, you know what."

Upon hearing this, Tenko pulled Maki into a hug. Maki stiffened for a moment, but loosened up and let Tenko hug her.

"You know, one of the reasons I wanted you to come with me is because I wanted you to have a good time," Tenko said softly. "I wanted you to forget about your other life, even for just a little while."

"I wish I could forget about it too. At the same time, I shouldn't be afraid to share myself with you," Maki said quietly. "Even the ugly parts."

"And I'll definitely make sure to ask if something comes up again! I don't want to blow up at you again," Tenko said, releasing Maki from the hug.

"I know I do have tonight free. Want to go out somewhere?" Maki asked.

"Sure! A nice dinner together would be nice," Tenko said, smiling at her girlfriend. Tenko was relieved that she and Maki worked things out together, and Maki herself was privately glad that Tenko was no longer angry.

Both of them made a mental note to thank their friends the next day, for being there for them.

* * *

 **A/N: In direct contrast to yesterday's piece, this one-shot ended up much longer. I really liked how it turned out though! Tomorrow's theme has a lot of interesting... possibilities, so look forward to that. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	4. Day 4: Pregame or Postgame

**A/N: Even I'm not entirely sure what happened with today's one-shot. The prompt was "Pregame/Postgame", and I went with "Postgame". This one-shot sort of... ended up doing it's own thing. I hope everyone else enjoys it regardless! This one-shot contains massive spoilers for Danganronpa V3. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 4: Afterwards**

Sometimes, Maki couldn't help but wonder what Tenko would have made of everything.

Just as Tsumugi claimed, the world outside the "Ultimate Academy for Gifted Juveniles" was peaceful. Even after Shuichi swayed the "outside world" to abandon Danganronpa, however, there were a select few that cried out for it's revival.

So it seemed that Maki was not fated to live a quiet life after all. Which was perhaps the cruelest irony of all- after spending so long tormented by her past as an assassin, hating herself, it turned out none of that was real in the first place.

In a sense, Maki was free to do whatever she wanted, be whoever she wanted. At the same time, that freedom did nothing for all the anguish that Maki had suffered as the "Ultimate Assassin".

The freedom of being in this "outside world" did nothing for the nightmares that Maki suffered, from all the deaths she'd witnessed. The deaths of every one of her classmates stuck with her, especially considering the possibility that Tsumugi invented all the motives for the murders.

The two deaths that stuck out the most to Maki, however, were Kaito's and Tenko's.

* * *

The noise of the city sometimes became too much for Maki. So after leaving her small apartment, Maki made her way to- somewhere. Anywhere that Maki could be alone with her thoughts. Eventually Maki spotted a small park, where the only people there were a mother and father playing with their daughter.

As Maki sat down on a bench, she subtly observed the parents play with their child.

From what Maki could "remember", she was an orphan. Regardless of if that past was real or not, Maki had no memories of her parents. No memory of if her family resembled the family in the park.

Maki forced her mind away from that train of thought, but her mind ended up lingering on them instead. On Kaito and Tenko, and on how they weren't here anymore.

When it came to Kaito, sometimes he could be the absolute worst. Always barreling forward without a second thought, dragging Maki or Shuichi (or both of them) along for whatever harebrained idea he'd come up with.

Kaito would come up with his training programs and then never do any training himself… although in hindsight, his illness was likely responsible for that. Kaito would make bold claims about the impossible being possible, then ducked out instead of backing his words up, like the time he and Maki assembled a crossbow together and he didn't want to disassemble it.

Yes, Kaito could be the worst… yet if he hadn't been so insistent of pushing Maki out of her shell, if he hadn't made the ultimate sacrifice to save her and beat the killing game, Maki wouldn't be here.

"If you were here, Kaito, you would tell me to just believe in you and everything would be fine," Maki muttered to herself. "Well, you're not here… but I am, and I plan to believe in myself now." Perhaps Kaito would be proud of his "sidekick".

Now Maki's mind wandered to Tenko. Maki didn't get a chance to know Tenko very well, and if anything that was even worse.

Because the first memory that stuck out to Maki about Tenko was after the trial surrounding Rantaro's murder. Maki was headed to the elevator, when she heard Tenko talk to Shuichi. Before now, Tenko made her intense dislike of men clear.

So it surprised Maki to hear Tenko reassuring Shuichi- telling him not to beat himself up for what happened. In that moment, Maki could see a kind heart shining from inside Tenko.

During Ryoma's case, more of Tenko's personality showed itself- Tenko fiercely defending Himiko from suspicion, doing her best to rally the rest of the class, and when Maki's alibi was questioned, Tenko loudly declaring that she believed in Maki.

Maki didn't dare get her hopes up- if her identity as an assassin was revealed, Tenko would turn on her like anyone else. And the morning after Kokichi exposed Maki's "true talent", Tenko was looking at Maki with suspicion just like everyone else, besides Kaito and Shuichi.

Maki thought she had Tenko figured out. Just when Maki was ready to write Tenko off, however…

Tenko approached Maki and Shuichi, bearing a serious expression Maki had never seen on her before. And Maki learned of a whole new side of Tenko: seeing the true depths of Tenko's sincerity in helping Himiko and stopping Angie's cult, learning of Tenko's firm morals.

Just that fact that Tenko was able to take the full brunt of Maki's glare while barely flinching was surprising enough. Hearing Tenko declare that killing was never justified was another matter altogether.

It wasn't that Maki disagreed. At the time, Maki believed the world wasn't so nice as to give people a choice, as Maki knew from experience. Still, Tenko's resolve left an impression on Maki.

When Tenko's initial attempt to appeal to Angie ended in her fighting with Himiko, Maki found herself worrying about Tenko. Maki found herself hoping that Tenko could work things out with Himiko.

When they met up again the next morning, Maki and Tenko greeted each other casually, as if they were already friends. Maki even found herself smiling. Maki allowed herself to consider Tenko someone she could trust…

Then it was all cruelly ripped away, when Tenko was killed. Murdered in a trap that preyed on her kindness. Even after her death, however, Tenko's heart lingered. Especially in Himiko, who carried Tenko's resolve with her through to the end of the killing game.

Maki's reminiscence was briefly broken by the sound of crying. Looking up, Maki saw that the girl had tripped and scraped her knee. Her mother was holding her daughter in her arms and reassuring her, while the dad attended to her wound.

"If you had a daughter, Tenko, would you have treated them like this?" Maki whispered to herself. Then Maki shook her head. "Is that why… I can't forget you? Because you deserve a life like this, and now you can never have it?"

Of course, Tenko's disdain in men was something that Maki knew well, as was Tenko's interest in girls. Even so, Tenko struck Maki as the sort that would want to start a family with a girl that she loved.

That was another irony- Maki was given the backstory of growing up in an orphanage and looking after small children, but Tenko was the one Maki could see really thriving in that role.

Of course, sometimes Tenko could let her emotions get the better of her. "At a time like that, maybe I could be the one to rein her in."

A part of her backstory was growing up with a best friend whose face and name Maki couldn't remember, perhaps because she never existed in the first place. So in Maki's mind, that faceless friend was being replaced by Tenko.

Maki found herself imagining growing up with Tenko, but not in the fake orphanage hiding an assassin cult- in an normal orphanage. Laughing with Tenko, crying with Tenko, working out with Tenko just for fun.

The times that Maki played house with her "best friend" were now times playing house with Tenko. Maki could see Tenko smiling brightly at her as the two of them watched over the rest of the children.

"Wait, what am I thinking? Something like this… could have never happened. And now, it will never happen."

That's what it came down to in the end, didn't it? Maki's time with Tenko was cut short, and now a part of her wished they could have had so much longer together.

It was then that Maki remembered Tenko's final words to Himiko: "Live your life facing forward!"

"That's what you would tell me too if you were here, wouldn't you, Tenko? To not be sad that you're gone, but to find the strength to keep going." Maki sat up from the bench, dusting herself off.

"Then I will. I will do my best to move forward. But I don't think I will ever forget you."

* * *

 **A/N: I think I've made myself sad with this one-shot. Honestly, I do wish Tenko survived, if only because she and Maki did seem like they were becoming friends, and I wanted to see more of that. Tomorrow's prompt is ripe for even more angst. So look forward to that? Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	5. Day 5: Unrequited Love

**A/N: So today's prompt was "Unrequited Love", so I was expecting this to be really painful. And this one-shot is angsty, but it's also hopeful? I thought it turned out well. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 5: We're the same**

"She loves me, she loves me not. She loves me, she love me not."

Tenko continued to pick the petals off the flower she was holding, a despondent look on her face.

"She love me not- oh." Tenko picked the last petal, and that was her result. Well, it's not like Tenko should have been surprised. But a part of Tenko was still stubbornly holding on…

"Tenko?"

Tenko looked up to see Maki looking at her- and Maki seemed to have a concerned expression on her face. "Is something wrong?" Maki asked.

"No, it's nothing!" When that was answered with a glare from Maki, Tenko knew there was no point in hiding anything from her.

"Well, this is something I haven't told anyone, but I held special feelings in my heart for Himiko," Tenko explained.

"Oh, is that what this is about? Maybe we shouldn't be talking about this outside, then." Maki began walking, gesturing Tenko to follow her.

* * *

They ended up inside of Maki's room- there were no real decorations to speak of, except for a small orb sitting on her nightstand.

Maki sat down on her bed, and Tenko decided to take a chair that was also in the room. Once they were both seated, Maki said, "I'm probably not going to be very good at comforting you, but I'll at least listen."

"It means a lot to me that Maki is willing to try!" Tenko took a deep breath, and continued her story. "For a long time, I wanted to tell Himiko how I feel, but I could never find the words."

"Yesterday, I decided to go ahead and finally confess to Himiko! And Himiko… told Tenko that she didn't feel the same way." Tears started to form in Tenko's eyes. "We're still friends, of course, and Tenko is glad for it! But it still hurts…"

"So that's all that it was?" When Tenko's expression became hurt Maki quickly said, "Sorry, that came out wrong. What I meant is… you're emotionally strong, Tenko."

"You really think I'm strong, Maki? I'm a total mess right now," Tenko said, wiping her eyes.

"Maybe you are. Still, you took a chance, and you expressed how you felt. That must have been difficult," Maki said. "There are people… that wouldn't be able to do that."

Something in Maki's words rang strange, but Tenko decided not to pry. "I want to respect Himiko's feelings to stay friends. I'm just finding it really hard, and I feel guilty that I can't let this go!"

"Tenko, relax." For a moment, Maki reached out, then stopped, her expression uncertain. Then Maki lay one of her hands on one of Tenko's hands. "No one's expecting you to 'get over it' in a day. In fact, a lot of us were worried about you."

Tenko could imagine Kaede and Shuichi being worried about her. This made Tenko wonder… "Were you worried about me too, Maki?"

"Of course I was," Maki said, pouting. "You're my friend too."

Now Tenko found herself feeling really touched. "Thank you, Maki!" Tenko said, smiling. "I think I'm actually starting to feel better now."

"That's more like you. I'm glad," Maki said, a small smile appearing on her own face. "There was another reason I decided to bring you to my room. Hang on a second…"

Letting go of Tenko's hand, Maki got up and turned off the lights in the room. Next, Maki made her way to the white orb on her nightstand, before pushing a button on it.

The white orb suddenly began letting out light, projecting stars onto the ceiling of the room. "Wow, this is absolutely gorgeous!" Tenko exclaimed in wonderment.

"I wasn't sure how well I'd do at making you feel better. And watching this… always makes me feel better. So I thought it might help you too," Maki said, watching the stars as well.

"You've already helped me, Maki!" There it was again- a wavering undercurrent in Maki's voice. This time, Tenko couldn't ignore it. "And since we're friends, Tenko won't hesitate to help Maki if she needs it!"

For a moment, Maki didn't say anything. Still watching the stars, Maki said, "You can be annoying sometimes, Tenko, but you can also be encouraging. Like I said, there are people that don't have the bravery that you do. Watching you get back up from this… will be enough for me."

Finally Tenko put her finger on what Maki's tone sounded like. "Maki… are you saying that you- ?"

"I'm not very good at a lot of things," Mak cut in. "There are things that you can do that I can't."

"That's not true! You can do anything I can, Maki!" Tenko exclaimed. "And there's probably lots of stuff you can do that I can't."

"I thought you would say that. That's just how you are, throwing your heart into everything," Maki said, her smile now bittersweet. "All I need is for you to keep being you. Until I can learn how to get back up too."

"If that's what you need, then I'll be here for you, Maki!" This time, Tenko was the one to reach forward and grasp Maki's hand. "I'll be here for you as long as you need!"

"...Thank you, Tenko."

There seemed to be no more need for words. Maki lay back on her bed, continuing to watch the stars shining forth from Hope Planet on her night stand.

It didn't seem right to just keep sitting on the chair. So Tenko lay down on the bed next to Maki, and the two of them watched the stars, letting it wash away their shared pain.

* * *

 **A/N: Tomorrow's prompt will definitely stretch my creative muscles! I will write something bombastic and exciting, so look forward to it! Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	6. Day 6: Talent Swap

**A/N: This one-shot is special in a few ways. The prompt is "Talent Swap", so Tenko and Maki do have each other's talents. This story does feature other V3 characters, and they all have their canon talent. Anything else- read on to find out. So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 6: To protect what matters**

As of late, there were news of the a vigilante known simply as "The Deadly Flash". Witnesses could never describe the vigilante as more than a blur of movement. There were two things that made this particular vigilante notable:

First, they only went to after heinous, dangerous criminals, such as armed robbers, corrupt politicians, or criminal ringleaders.

Second, the vigilante always killed their targets painlessly. Whether it be by snapping their neck, or with a single stab to a vital region, the vigilante seemed to go out of their way to make sure none of their targets suffered.

Who was the person known as "The Deadly Flash"? What was their motive for murdering criminals, particularly in the way they did? That was the main topic of discussion in a classroom in Hope's Peak Academy.

"I personally am not interested in the identity of this killer, but rather their motives," Korekiyo Shinguji said. "Did they suffer some sort of injustice they wish to correct? Do they simply enjoy the the act of killing? Ke he he, I find myself curious about their inner workings…"

"Who the hell cares about anything like that? I wonder what kind of hunk of man he is," Miu Iruma said, drooling at her fantasy.

"What makes you so sure 'The Deadly Flash' is male?" Korekiyo asked.

"Uh, who else could they be? They must be covered in muscles to be able to pull off what they do!" Miu snapped at Korekiyo.

"Having not witnessed this killer in action, I can only make theories," Korekiyo said. "However, their MO seems to point to the opposite conclusion. They kill their targets swiftly, and make sure not to get spotted. This could indicate that they are not confident in proacted battles."

"Why are any of you talking about this?" Maki Harukawa asked, irritated. Maki had tried to ignore the conversation until now, but was finally fed up with it. "This conversation is pointless."

"Because we're bored, you kooky kung fu chick," Miu said derisively. "Our teacher is late for class, so we have nothing better to do."

"If you have nothing to do, how about trying to study for once, Miu," Tenko Chabashira lectured.

"Tch, you may be a mommy type, but you're not my mom," Miu said, rolling her eyes.

"Please don't talk to my girlfriend like that. I'd rather not start a fight, but you're really irritating me," Maki said, her hands balled into fists.

"Maybe someone like me has no right to have these thoughts. But what I wonder is how this 'Deadly Flash' feels about their kills?" Ryoma Hoshi asked. "When they're alone with their thoughts, do they see all the people they killed?"

"I would hope that they don't feel good for killing people," Tenko said, her face now pale. "Because if they stopped feeling bad about killing, would they even be human anymore? Would they become just another monster?"

"All of that is just you trying to apply your morality system onto someone to whom it does not apply," Korekiyo said. "Although, our entire conversation is much the same. After, all the only person who would know what 'The Deadly Flash' is thinking is the 'Deadly Flash'."

"The teacher could come back in at any time, so we should probably stop now," Maki said firmly. "And this conversation is upsetting Tenko."

"I suppose Tenko would never consider death or killing, given her line of work," Ryoma said, pulling his hat over his eyes. "I apologize for forcing you to listen to something so tasteless."

"It's okay," Tenko said, still looking shaken.

Not longer after, the teacher entered the room, and the rest of the class was forced to stop talking and at least pretend to pay attention.

* * *

After classes ended for the day, Tenko and Maki walked out together. Tenko was still rattled by the conversation from this morning, judging by the way she held arms across her chest.

"...They don't know, Tenko. You don't have to take what they say so seriously," Maki said softly to her girlfriend.

"I know, Maki," Tenko said, her face troubled. "But what if they're right? What if-"

"I know how you feel about what you have to do. And I decided to stick by you," Maki said firmly. "Because if it weren't for you, I wouldn't be here."

Maki could still remember when she was first given her talent. While it made Maki proud of her efforts, it had also made her reckless. Maki ran into a fight it turned out she couldn't win against several opponents armed with guns.

Just when Maki resigned herself to the fact that she was going to die, her assailants all dropped dead without warning. A blur lept into Maki's view, then slowly resolved itself into a familiar silhouette. "Harukawa, is that you?"

That was how Maki really met Tenko, and that was how Maki ended up falling for Tenko.

"Are you going to be on assignment today?" Maki asked Tenko.

"Yes, I am! If there's any reason why I still do what I do, it's because of you," Tenko exclaimed. "I hope to make a world that's safer for you!"

"Then I will be waiting for you at my dojo. If you need help, I won't hesitate to come to your aid," Maki said. "And please… make it home safe."

Maki kissed Tenko on the cheek, and Tenko responded by kissing Maki on the forehead. After that, the two of them went their separate ways.

* * *

That night, violent crimes were being committed all across the city. Not all of them could be stopped. A certain vigilante, however, was determined to stop as many as she could.

When people did catch a view of "The Deadly Flash", all they saw was slim figure before she disappeared.

It gave Tenko no joy to take so many lives. But in the name of saving even more innocent lives, in the name of protecting the girl she loved- Tenko would do what it took.

* * *

 **A/N: Well, tomorrow is the end of TenMaki week. It's been fun, everyone! For tomorrow's final piece, I will write exactly as I want. Look forward to the final of these series of one-shots. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


	7. Day 7: Free Day

**A/N: This is the final day of Tenmaki week, bringing with it the final one-shot. The prompt was "Free Day", allowing for anything. So I wrote tooth-rotting fluff. This piece is completely self-indulgent and I do not apologize for it. I hope you all enjoy this final one-shot! So without further ado, it's time for femslash!**

* * *

 **Day 7: With You**

Life for Tenko Chabashira and Maki Harukawa was going very well.

Ever since they moved in with each other after graduating from Hope's Peak Academy, the two of them took steps to seizing the kind of future that they wanted for themselves, and each other.

Tenko opened her Neo Aikido dojo, which at first was only open to female students. After some prodding from Shuichi, however, Tenko decided to start allowing male students as well. It didn't take long for the dojo to attract a lot of students, perhaps because of Tenko's infectiously bright personality.

At Tenko's request, Maki worked at the dojo as a trainer, teaching the students alongside her girlfriend. Maki found herself enjoying life as a dojo trainer, but also didn't want to stay as one forever.

After discussing with Tenko, Maki decided to pursue a path similar to her cover talent, and was currently going to college to become a preschool teacher. And like this, Maki and Tenko spent the days with each other. There came a time, however, when they would need to take the next step together…

* * *

"Maki, is that an orphanage?"

Maki looked where Tenko was pointing, and saw that indeed it was an orphanage. It wasn't the same orphanage where Maki grew up, but Maki still couldn't help but flinch.

"Oh, was I not supposed to point it out? I'm sorry!" Tenko exclaimed worriedly.

"Not, don't apologize. You didn't do anything wrong, Tenko." Maki felt a little angry at herself- she and Tenko were both twenty-three. Maki did not like still being haunted by her past. "Go ahead, what did you want to say?"

Tenko put one of her arms around Maki's waist to comfort her. "If it's okay, can we go inside the orphanage?"

While Maki didn't know why Tenko was suddenly interested in this, she also saw no real reason to refuse her. "Sure, we can go inside."

Tenko guided Maki inside the orphanage. Once they were inside, Maki could immediately tell that it was a place that actually cared for children, unlike where she grew up: The orphanage was bright and colorful, toys were scattered all over the place, and there were caretakers all around.

"This place is… nice," Maki muttered to herself. Still, there was no hiding that it was an orphanage, where abandoned children lived- Maki could hear that more than a few of them were crying for their parents.

Tenko could hear the crying too, judging by how her eyes watered. "I hope that these children can find good homes," Tenko said, watching all the children.

"At the very least, they will get to grow up in a place like this, and they have a chance for a better life," Maki said. Now, Maki could no longer hold back her curiosity, and asked, "Why did you want to come in here, Tenko?"

"Well, I'm really happy where we are right now! But recently, I've had thoughts about our future," Tenko said, her face turning pink. "There's so much I want to experience with you, Maki! And one of those things…"

Tenko once against glanced at all the children in the orphanage. Then Tenko took a deep breath and said, "Is that I want to start a family with you!"

It took a moment for Maki to process Tenko's words. When Maki finally found her voice, she said, "So the reason you wanted to come into this orphanage is because you want to adopt a child with me?"

"Not right now, of course! But I wanted to know what you might think of it, so we can start planning," Tenko said. "Don't say you're not good with kids, Maki, because you are! All our students love you!"

"You're the one that actually makes our students smile." Still, Maki couldn't deny that she'd grown to like being around children since becoming a dojo trainer. "For the longest time, I didn't allow myself to consider something like starting a family. I always believed I didn't deserve it."

Tenko had heard this before, so she didn't interrupt Maki. Tenko did, however, grasp one of Maki's hands and give it a comforting squeeze.

"Ever since I started living with you, Tenko, I've let myself have dreams again. Because with you encouraging me, I feel I can have the life I want," Maki said, now blushing as well. "Being able to wake up with you… running the dojo together… and now working towards becoming a preschool teacher. You've been with me every step of the way."

"Of course I have! Because I love you, Maki," Tenko said, leaning in to give Maki a light kiss on the lips. "I don't ever want to be away from you!"

"I don't ever want to be away from you either. And if you want to start a family one day," Maki kissed Tenko back, before saying, "Then please know that I want it just as bad as you."

"I'm so happy to hear that! You'll make a wonderful mom, Maki!" Tenko exclaimed, now grasping both of Maki's hands in her own.

Maki was about to say that if anyone would be a wonderful mom, it was Tenko, when she suddenly heard an outburst of giggling. Maki looked towards to see that several of the children were now watching them. "We should probably go now."

It was too soon in their lives to actually start a family, but it was nice to think about it. But in the future, once Maki had settled into her career as a teacher. And Tenko, in her enthusiasm, had skipped over an entire step.

Now Maki was thinking about it. Of asking Tenko that all important question in the near future…

* * *

 _Five years later_

Today was the happiest day of Chiharu's life.

The eight-year girl was doodling on a piece of paper, while the other children in the orphanage ran around her. Every so often, one of the children stopped by to give Chiharu a gift, like a half-eaten cookie or a hairclip for her short brown hair.

It was their way of congratulating Chiharu on this special day.

The door to the orphanage opened, letting a pair of adult women in: One dressed in a red vest and skirt, and the other dressed in a blue tracksuit. "Oh, are you the Harukawas?" One of the orphanage caretakers asked.

"We are," said the women dressed in red. "Do you have the paperwork?"

"Yes, we do, so if you'll just come this way…"

"I'll take care of this, Tenko. Why don't you go greet our daughter?"

"I will! Call if you need anything, Maki!" After a brief kiss, Maki followed the orphanage caretaker, while Tenko approached Chiharu. "Hello there again, Chiharu! What are you drawing?"

"Ima drawin' us." Chiharu showed off her drawing of three stick figures, with two being taller.

"That's so adorable! Do you mind if I draw stuff with you?" Tenko asked.

"Sure." Tenko and Chiharu spent time just drawing whatever came to mind on the paper, until they filled up every corner.

Tenko was teaching Chiharu how to draw a dog when Maki returned, with a small, but sincere smile on her face. "It's official."

"That's wonderful!" Tenko exclaimed, going up to Maki and giving her a hug.

"What's that mean?" Chiharu asked curiously.

"It means we're both going to be your mom now, Chiharu!" Tenko said, lifting up the little girl. "You're now officially Chiharu Harukawa!"

"Yay!" Chiharu didn't exactly understand what that meant, but Tenko's smile made her smile too.

"You can set her down now, Tenko," Maki said dryly.

"Oh, right!" After setting Chiharu down, Tenko offered the little girl her hand. Chiharu grasped onto one of Tenko's fingers.

From Chiharu's other side, Maki also offered her hand, which Chiharu accepted. The two of them guided their new daughter out of the orphanage, and to their new home.

* * *

 **A/N: Thank you for spending Tenmaki week with me! I've loved writing all of these one-shots. Tenmaki has come to mean so much for me. Fun fact: this one-shot is connected to the pieces for days 1 through 3. Now, I will return to my regular works. However, I will return to Tenmaki again in the future. So look forward to what I do next. Until then, this has been Orion Fowl** **and thank you for visiting my Corner of Romance!**


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